Rico Dowdle standing out early in padded practices, but still plenty of room in RB committee

Rico Dowdle is starting to shine… could he really and truly be RB1?

August 11th is the date of the Dallas Cowboys’

first preseason game against the Los Angeles

Rams. Less than a month later, on September 8th

versus the Browns to kick off the regular season,

is the first important game of the year, but we

still don’t know their running back plans. While

the loss of free agents such as Dante Fowler Jr.,

Dorance Armstrong, Tyler Biadasz, and Michael

Gallup has allowed rookies Marshawn Kneeland,

Brock Hoffman, Jalen Tolbert, or Brooks to make

waves at training camp and possibly earn more

playing time, the same cannot be said of Rico

Dowdle, who was the starting running back last

season. Out of every choice the Cowboys have

made in the offseason, that boil down to “liking

their guys” and trusting year two or three

players to step up, thrusting Dowdle into a

starting role with only veterans Ezekiel Elliott

and Royce Freeman having experience behind

him might be the most brash if it happens. The

wait between the start of training camp where

unpadded practices allow secondary and skill

position players to shine, and the more physical

ones Dallas has introduced this week with full

pads hasn’t helped make anyone feel much

better about the RB situation, but slowly and

surely Dowdle is trying to change that by

catching the eye of some in attendance covering

Cowboys camp in Oxnard. Having played a part

in the first year of Mike McCarthy’s plan, Dowdle,

who is in his fourth season with the team, has an

early advantage over Elliott and Freeman in the

backfield competition. With a career-high 89

rushes for 361 yards and two touchdowns in

2023, the 2020 undrafted free agent is

determined to establish himself as a lead back.

Despite aiming to be an RB1 for the first time in

his career, Dowdle has spent the last three

seasons playing in tandem. The good news for

the former South Carolina running back is that

McCarthy doesn’t appear to be planning to

support away from this approach, even taking it

a step further by telling the media at this camp’s

opening press conference he wants to expand

the use of two-back looks in his offense.

Trying to make Tony Pollard an every down back

was one of the very few things that didn’t work

for a McCarthy offense that led the league in

many other passing and total offense categories

last year, and embracing more of a committee

approach may be the team’s only choice for 2024

given how the depth chart looks at the moment.

Both Dowdle and Elliott, when at their best, can

bring a physical, north-to-south running style the

Cowboys lacked a year ago, meaning other backs

will have to provide change of pace and

receiving skills. Even Dowdle has the ability to

surprise defenses with his hands out of the

backfield. Growing his route tree alongside

would be a great next step to see for an offense

in need of better balance. The Cowboys have

done the work to upgrade the offensive line that

any of these backs will run behind, but it isn’t

exactly fool proof to the point an under-the-radar

player is going to burst onto the scene with a

DeMarco Murray-esque 2014 season. The Back to

the Future time machine also isn’t parked next to

Jerry’s helicopter, meaning a similar type season

seen in the past from Elliott with the Cowboys

shouldn’t be expected either.

Rico Dowdle doesn’t need to be the focal point of

Dallas’ offense, or the player opposing defensive

coordinators are spending all week preparing

for. For good reason, the team is confident they

have these types of players already in CeeDee

Lamb and Dak Prescott, as well as Brandin

Cooks, Jake Ferguson, and others like Jalen

Tolbert poised to take a big step up. Dowdle’s task

becomes much simpler if the Cowboys passing

game is even close to as dynamic as they were in

2023. That task is to take advantage of the softer

fronts to run against and get all of the yards that

are blocked for in front of him.

Although Pollard never enjoyed great continuity

with the blockers trying to open holes in front, it

was clear he also left yards on the field looking

for the big plays the Cowboys were counting on

him still producing despite not being paired with

Elliott anymore. Where these plays will come

from now is even more of a mystery given the

current state of the RB position, but seeing how

much Dowdle can really establish himself as the

best option out of the backfield is more

important with padded practices just beginning.

Even without every rep being ran at full speed,

there has been a noticeable difference in the way

Dowdle bursts upfield and shows off some

elusiveness compared to anyone else taking

handoffs for the Cowboys at camp right now.

Although the Cowboys have a history of not

giving any of their projected starters much of a

run during the preseason, it would be prudent to

watch some of Dowdle in these contests given

how important it is for them to have a revived

run game to assess the offensive line as a whole.

Training camp team drills are also almost tough

to duplicate from these live reps because of the

numerous limitations on permitted contact and

the emphasis on injury prevention on all

practices. Highlight reel catches, interceptions,

pinpoint accurate throws, and other “mojo

moments” may continue to steal the spotlight of

coverage from Cowboys camp, but from here on

out the most important progress this team can

make before the regular season is at running

back with Rico Dowdle on the fast track to be a

trusted week one starter.

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